Issue 5, Volume 118 -- September 28, 2022

Mahsa Amini’s death sparks Iran protests

Protests broke out in Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody Sept.16. She was arrested in Tehran, Iran, for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code. She fell into a coma after suspected mistreatment and died in a hospital. Many protesters burned headscarves and clashed with police who used tear gas, water cannons and metal pellets. At least 16 people have died since the protests began Sept. 17.

NATIONAL

Arizona reinstates old abortion law

An Arizona court reinstated a law frst enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances Saturday, Sept. 24. This ruling says the state can prosecute doctors and others assisting with an abortion unless it’s necessary to save the mother’s life.

Elton John awarded Humanities Medal

Joe Biden surprised music icon Elton John with a National Humanities Medal during his performance on the White House’s south lawn Friday, Sept. 23. John played for an audience packed with teachers, frst responders, veterans and other fgures. Throughout the night, John spoke about the advocacy and work he’s done since creating the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1991.

STATE

Long-term COVID-19 patients receive care

Health care providers in Arkansas are starting to provide services for patients struggling to recover weeks or months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The CDC released a study that estimates one in fve COVID-19 patients between 18 and 64 years old have a health condition related to the illness. Damage to vital organs from the disease can intensify one’s long-term health problems like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, blood disorders, neurological conditions and mental health disorders.

Correction

In Issue 4, The Echo incorrectly reported that People of UCA subject Teresa Burton is a counselor. Burton’s title is Administrative Specialist III in the Counseling Center.

Sports:

Archives upload a thousand retro photos to website

BY BENNETT TINNERMON Editor-in-Chief

The archives recently scanned and uploaded over a thousand UCA photos to their digital collection, with photos dating back to 1907.

Daniel Klotz, the interim archivist, said it took around two to three months to get that amount of photos from print to the website. Some photos, instead of being on paper, are on glass plate negatives, requiring the archives to send them for scanning as they do not have the equipment in-house.

The recently uploaded photos include scenes of old dorm rooms, team photos, campus buildings, events and when Donaghey Avenue was a dirt road.

“We have a large collection of historic photographs of UCA, the campus, people, that — up until now — had been kind of locked away back here,” Klotz said. The archives are located on the west side of Torreyson Library, and are open via scheduling a visit online. Klotz said more of the archives being available online makes it easier for people to access.

“You can hop on the computer at three in the morning, and if you want to see what an early fraternity mixer looked like, I mean, there you go,” Klotz said.

The archives also have artifacts relating to UCA and Arkansas, like old UCA clothes, posters and even the instruments and a Grammy from Arkansan folk musician Jimmy Driftwood.

“We preserve materials related to UCA history, Arkansas History. Including manuscripts of professors, political fgures, organizations across Conway and the States,” Klotz said.

The oldest photo, dated circa 1907, is a portrait of Otis

MENTAL HEALTH

UCA counseling process groups back in session

BY ANDREW MCMAHAN Sta Writer

The University of Central Arkansas’ counseling center restarted its process groups Sept. 14. UCA’s process groups serve as safe places for individuals with various counseling needs.

These process groups are broken into four groups including a group for Black women, sexual assault survivors, managing social anxiety and managing anxiety/worry. The groups are led by UCA’s staff psychologists and staff counselors. Each group is led by one individual, with the exception of one group that has two group leaders.

Counseling center director and counselor Susan Sobel said, “These groups are confdential. We are very clear that in order for this to be a safe space, that everybody respects everyone else’s privacy. We have a saying, ‘what is said in group stays in group.’”

The process groups meet once a week, but at different times and dates depending on the group chosen. The leaders of these groups promise anonymity to the students who join the sessions.

The group designated for Black women is called “Be You.”

This group is coordinated by staff counselor Tina Livingston and intern counselor Angela Burgest. This group is meant for Black women to safely speak on issues they face. They meet in the Student Health Center room 328 at 2 p.m. every Wednesday.

Sobel leads the sexual assault survivor group, which accepts people from any gender. This group lets victims speak

on their past trauma and meet others with similar experiences. Sobel said these groups are to help victims know they are not alone. The sexual assault group meets Thursdays at 2 p.m. in the Student Health Center room 328.

The managing social anxiety group is led by counselor Reesa Ramsahai. This group was introduced to help people manage their social anxiety while in a public setting. It allows students to meet others who deal with social anxiety and support one another.

Ramsahai spoke about the benefts of her process group, as well as the other groups and said, “Students feel validated. Also, other people who are similar to them will say ‘I know exactly how you feel.’”

The managing social anxiety group meets in the Student Center in room 328 on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.

Staff counselor Susannah Manney leads the anxiety and worry group which was created for students who deal with constant worry and anxiety. This group connects students who deal with similar issues and gives them a space to express those feelings. It meets in the Student Health Center in room 328 on Fridays at 2 p.m.

The staff had encouraging words for any student on the fence about attending the group sessions. Ramsahai said, “They can have fun. You are discussing challenging topics that you don’t feel good about, however, we provide an environment that is not judgemental. At the end of it, they can feel better about their situations, not all situations, but it can happen nevertheless.”

Wingo. Wingo was a “member of the Arkansas Senate who sponsored legislation to establish the Arkansas State Normal School,” the digital archives site said. The Arkansas State Normal School was the founding name of UCA.

The archives are not only a way to view historical items relating to UCA and the state, but are also a resource utilized by professors and students on campus.

Lecturer of history Buck Foster uses the archives for his own research and as work for his students.

“I’ve been using it since I arrived here 15 years ago. There are several sources that I’ve looked into that are not available anywhere else. And it’s right here on campus,” Foster said.

Foster said he sent students to the archives to “fnd sources and topics to work with … you want to make sure that there’s

enough sources on a topic that the student can actually do the paper or do the work,” Foster said.

Former archivist Jimmy Bryant was helpful in guiding students and helping them fnd what they needed in the archives, Foster said. Bryant helped match students with what he knew there were enough resources on, Foster said.

“Unfortunately, since the pandemic, now we’re doing stuff by appointment … and that’s really messed everything up,” Foster said.

Even with the complications brought on by the pandemic, the archives remain an important resource for Foster and UCA’s history department.

“We also train our history majors on how to be historians … you want to show them how it works and what it is and what they have and what’s available,” Foster said. “We can’t train historians without an archive.”

The archives have many more photos to add online in the future, Klotz said. “We also graphic by Mia Waddell

READING

Foster said it can be hard to appreciate historical topics when it is about something that happened far away. “If you learn that the person lived down the road from you, or at least across the state … then you begin to relate,” Foster said. “You get a better appreciation.”

UCA celebrates Banned Books Week outside Torreyson Library

BY WILL MCDONALD Assistant News Editor

Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read. The Torreyson Library celebrated by hosting an outdoor reading of some challenged literature from Monday, Sep. 19 to Friday, Sep. 23 in front of the library.

Students were encouraged to take free bookmarks and bracelets. A giveaway was held to win prizes like a Banned Books Week mug, a copy of the second most challenged book of the year, “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison, and a copy of the third most challenged book of the year, “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George

M. Johnson. A library cart full of challenged books was next to the table, and students were encouraged to read aloud.

Freshman Olivia Smith read the children’s books “The Giving Tree” and “The Lorax” aloud, “I read ‘The Giving Tree’ because that’s a book that my mom used to read to me a lot when I was little. I feel like it has a lot of sentimental value to me, and to hear that it was banned, it caught me off guard.” Smith said.

“The Giving Tree” has been challenged in libraries across America by those who claim it promotes sexist ideas. Others say it challenges capitalism. Challenges against “The Lorax” claim it harms the

logging industry.

“The Lorax was banned before because the American Forestry Association thought that it would turn people against them because it supports the idea of tree-huggers. You know, I could see that, but I just think it’s crazy that they would want to ban something like that,” Smith said. Students read excerpts from other challenged books like “The Hunger Games,” “Gone with the Wind” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Sophomore Linden Cates — who read an excerpt from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl — said, “I read it because I really enjoy the book. I really love Dahl’s

Freshman Olivia Smith reads “The Lorax” aloud outside the Torreyson Library Tuesday, Sept. 20. “The Lorax” made the list of banned books because of claims that it harms the logging industry.

UCA’s archives uploads more than a thousand photos, dating as far back as 1907, to their website. This is a collection of archived photos from the 1980s depicting student life at UCA.

photo by Will McDonald

Police Beat

Felon asleep in UCA parking lot

Offcer Phillip Boyd saw a vehicle continuously running in a UCA parking at 1:26 a.m. Sept. 22. He smelled marijuana coming from the car. Boyd found Jordan Murphy in the driver’s seat, Alexa Hawkins in the passenger seat, Kadarius James in the back passenger seat and Iycesiss Mitchell lying across the back seat. They were all asleep. When Boyd turned on his fashlight, the two in the front seat woke up. When Boyd asked to see the occupants ID’s, James and Mitchell said they didn’t have their ID’s on them. James gave Boyd the fake name “Kadarius Jones.” The offcers identifed James to be a convicted felon out of Florida on probation with active warrants out of both Little Rock, Arkansas, and Florida. All four suspects were detained and a backpack containing marijuana and a silver 1911 handgun was found in the car.

Car hits student then leaves scene Student charged with underage DUI

Student Neiya Howell was walking across the road at Stadium Park Apartments when she was struck by an SUV driving at around 20 mph Sept. 20. Howell said she was struck on her right side and fell to the ground, but was able to catch herself with her right hand. She said that the driver of the SUV stopped and asked if she was okay. The driver, a white male with short blonde hair, said he was sorry and that he was not paying attention before driving off. Howell walked to the Lewis Science Center nearby where her friend, student Jeromy Hunt called UCAPD. Offcer Rodney Purvis arrived with his medical bag to check on Howell, who claimed she had no major injuries. No vehicle matching Howell’s description was found on the camera footage from the main entrance of Stadium Park.

On his patrol of parking lot 508, Offcer Tommy Wise noticed a Nissan Sentra running with the lights on just past midnight Sept. 23. He approached the vehicle to conduct a welfare check.

Upon contact with the driver, student Julian Strain, and the passenger, student Jacob Scott, Wise smelled alcohol. When asked if they had been drinking alcohol, both students, who were both under the legal drinking age, said no. Both students were asked to exit the vehicle and walk around to the back of the car. According to the report, both men stumbled to the back of the car with glassy eyes and slurred speech. They refused to take a breath test. Scott was arrested for being a minor in possession of alcohol and Strain was arrested for underage DUI. Strain was also charged with DUI refusal for refusing to complete the breath test.

UCA professor Mark Spitzer helps students get published

BY ANDRAEA AGUILERA Sta Writer

Associate professor of creative writing Mark Spitzer coordinated a student-led interview with Arkansas poet Paulette Guerin that was published July 10 in the Parhelion literary journal.

In the interview, titled “You Can’t Carry that Raft on Your Back Forever,” graduate students Janet Uchendu, Kathy M. Bates, Amber Wagoner, Sydney Austin and Savannah Moix-Rogers go in depth with Guerin about her poetry tactics, stages of life, infuences and more.

Guerin is a UCA graduate and teaches courses at Harding University. Spitzer knew he wanted to work with her on this project after he spoke to one of her classes as a visiting writer and learned that she had a new poetry book coming out soon.

“Since I’m always looking for ways for students in my upperlevel and graduate courses to interact with writers and have conversations with writers, the idea of having them study Paulette’s book naturally popped into my head,” Spitzer said. “It’s always a win-win situation when students can learn from a professional role model and help her promote her work.”

In March, some of Spitzer’s advanced forms and theory of poetry students conducted a Zoom interview with the author. Afterward, Spitzer spent class time projecting the text on the whiteboard, allowing the class to make edits together.

“I knew there was a lot of theory packed into Paulette’s

verse, plus a lot the class could discuss in terms of forms and poetics. Since Paulette is a young and ambitious writer, I fgured she’d be eager to embrace this opportunity. Plus, I suspected my students would connect with Paulette’s style and voice, and they did,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer has been helping his students publish interviews for 15 years at UCA. He introduces his class to writers that they end up interviewing with their own questions. The class then comes together to edit and frame the interview before sending it off for publication.

“The success rate for this tactic is extremely high because literary journals are always on the lookout for interviews of contemporary authors to accompany the overload of poetry and fction they always receive. I’ve helped hundreds of UCA students get published with this method, and it’s an extremely empowering experience for emerging writers,” Spitzer said.

In his teaching creative writing class, Spitzer was recently able to set up an interview between his students and author Kishor Vaidya. The interview is titled “Playing the Fool in Charge as a Tool for Educational Leadership: An Interview with Dr. Kishor Vaidya and Contributors to Teach Creative Writing with a Sense of Humor.”

Having worked alongside Vaidya on another project, Spitzer was able to involve him in a class project where students held a diverse conversation about teaching and leading with a sense of humor. Students were assigned chapters to study from

FUNDING

Vaidya’s book and interviewed him.

“It was a fun project to study the role of humor in pedagogy for all of us, and everyone learned something, and we met our mutual objective via cooperation,” Spitzer said.

MARK SPITZER

The interview will be published next year in Vaidya’s edited collection “Lead with a Sense of Humor: Why (and How to) Be a Funnier and More Effective Educational Leader and Laugh All the Way to Your Institution.”

Spitzer believes his students learn best from hands-on experience. He said that having students plan and conduct interviews builds confdence and helps students build their resumes.

“These interviews also provide a critical response for the interviewee whose work is worthy of being showcased on not just a regional or national level, but in the case of the reach of online journals, for an international audience,” Spitzer said.

BY ASHLYN LITTLE Sta Writer

4 Continued from page 1 style and writing and it’s fun to read aloud. I’m not sure the exact reason why it would [get banned], but its got some parts that are kind of weird and scary. Its got some parts that are a little intense for a kids book, so that may be why people are trying to ban it.”

Associate professor of English Katherine Conley, the organizer of the event, talked about the nature of Banned Books Week. “[Banned books week] is happening nationwide. We think that book bans are things that happen in authoritarian countries or way back in the past when people burned witches, but just last week the Conway school district was talking about removing books from the school curriculum for things like LGBTQ content,” Conley said. “So, celebrating the fact that we have a constitutionally protected right to read is a great way to make a statement about having access to all the kinds of material we want, ” Conley said.

According to the American Library Association, in 2021, 1,597 books were affected by censorship attempts and 44 percent of those attempts took place in school libraries. There has been an upward trend in censorship attempts and 1,651 books have already been affected in 2022.

“I think [more challenges] have to do with the fact that there’s been an explosion in the publishing of things like young adult fction that features stories about coming of age and discovering your sexuality and books that are about systemic and structural racism. There is more access to that kind of stuff, and it can make people anxious who don’t feel comfortable with those things being in a school curriculum or library,” Conley said.

This years top ten most challenged books in America features books like “Gender Queer,” an illustrated memoirs by Maia Kobabe about Kobabe’s

exploration of gender identity and sexuality, and “This Book is Gay,” a nonfction book on sexuality and gender by Juno Dawson.

“This year’s top ten most challenged books are all on the list for LGBTQ content or for reasons related to race and ethnicity. All of those cultural anxieties percolate to the top and people want to protect what their kids can and can’t read,” Conley said. “If you’ve got a teenage kid who wants to read a story about a character and their coming out experience, they’re gonna fnd that, right. So, partly, book bans are kind of futile and pointless.”

“If we’re limiting what people have access to, we’re also limiting whose stories can be told. We should encourage people to share their stories and embrace some of the best parts of diversity that make us stronger,” Conley said.

A display of challenged books are featured at the Torreyson Library.

UCA speech-language pathology students will gain specialized clinical experiences to treat Parkinson’s patients with the help of a recent grant awarded to the SpeechLanguage-Hearing Center.

Associate professor of communication sciences and disorders Towino Paramby applied for the Parkinson’s Voice Project grant on behalf of the SLHC at the beginning of the year and the grant was awarded to UCA April 1, 2022. The Parkinson’s Voice Project grant was given to 439 total universities, hospitals, clinics and private practices. UCA was chosen among two other institutions in the state, the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

With the grant, the SLHC received a free SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd Training program for speech-language pathologists and graduate students that will prepare them for being able to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease.

“After receiving training, speech language pathologists and graduate students will be able to provide voice treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease,” Paramby said.

Department of

Communication Sciences and Disorders professor and department chair Dee Lance said that this grant for the SLHC not only impacts pathology students but also the community.

“All students enrolled in the [master’s] speech-language pathology program now have access to free training in the Speak Out therapy program.

Speak Out is an evidence-based voice treatment program for use with individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, the SLHC can now provide Speak Out clinical services for individuals in the community with Parkinson’s disease. This is much needed in the community and will provide UCA’s speech-language pathology students with specialized clinical experiences,” Lance said.

The SLHC is part of the Integrated Health Sciences Building on campus and serves as an outpatient clinic for both children and adults in the community with communication, cognitive and swallowing disorders. Students in the master’s speech-pathology program work under the direct supervision of certifed speech-language pathologists and audiologists to give them experience and preparation for beginning internships or work in the feld.

The Parkinson’s Voice Project is a nonproft organization and the purpose

Grant helps students gain clinical experience treating Parkinson’s Government Association swears in newly elected senators

BY WILL MCDONALD Assistant News Editor

The Student Government Association began its fall term by swearing in newly elected senators Monday, Sept. 26.

Votes totaled 710 for the election.

Ryan Webb won a special runoff election for Freshman Class President and Kylie McGraw was elected Freshman Class Vice-President.

Five representatives for each class were elected, except for the Junior class, which only had four students run for representative.

The freshman class representatives are Abigail Wells, Lyric Williams, Madison Ramsey, Bianca Martin and Tymera Marsh.

The sophomore class representatives are Hannah-

Grace Fritz, Maggie Westlin, Abigail Poole, Molly Austin and Zane Holloway.

The junior class representatives are Hannah Walker, Mackenzie Glenn, Mackenzie Bogan and Anceren Ramos.

The senior class representatives are Ricardo Gonzalez Guevara, Millie Skidmore, Maggie McGowen, Heaven Block and Jasmine Johnson.

New senators swore to “support, protect and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association of the University of Central Arkansas’’ and to “advocate for the betterment of all constituents represented in our governing body.”

Vice President of fnance J’Lun Herron said, “[Student

Activity Fee Allocation] is next week, Oct. 4 through Oct. 6 from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., so I hope the SAFA committee is ready to hear all the budgets and the organizations that we’re going to be working with this year.”

Herron said, “Participation has increased a lot this year, so I’m super excited for the organizations we are going to be hearing about. Budget requests are due this Thursday [Sep. 29] at 11:59 p.m. on CubConnect, so if you are a part of any organizations on campus, please be sure to submit your budget request by this Thursday.”

SAFA is how registered student organizations can request funding from SGA. SGA’s next meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m.

Archives:

4 have a — rough estimate — ten thousand or so pictures that we haven’t processed yet of campus in the late 90s, early 2000s.”

The archives actively gather and preserve different materials.

Recently, the archives acquired works of Arkansas poet laureate Lily Peter for $10, saving it from being thrown away, Klotz said.

The digital archive collection can be found online

of the grant was to make quality speech treatment accessible worldwide, according to their website.

“This grant program honors the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., a worldrenowned speech-language pathologist who recognized in the 1950s that individuals with Parkinson’s could improve their communication by ‘speaking with intent.’ Parkinson Voice Project’s highly effective speech therapy program is based on Boone’s teachings and combines education for the patient and family, along with individual and group speech therapy,” the website said.

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves. The disease is progressive and puts up to 90% of people with Parkinson’s at risk of losing their ability to speak, and 70% of the disease’s mortality rate comes from complications with swallowing, according to their website.

This grant provides the Conway and Central Arkansas community with a program to help treat patients with Parkinson’s disease and teach speech-language pathology students and current pathologists how to provide voice treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

at uca.edu/archives by clicking “UCA Photograph Collective” under “New to the Archives.”

The archives are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.

Reading: Books banned due to cultural anxieties

Students gather around the banned books table as a challenged book is read aloud in front of the Torreyson Library on Wednesday, Sept. 21. A display of challenged books can be found inside the library.

photo by Will McDonald

Interim Archivist Daniel Klotz stands by boxes of old photos in the archives, located in Torreyson Library. The archives recently uploaded over a thousand photos to their digital collection, which can be found on the UCA website.

photo by Bennett Tinnermon

Science Wednesday: The Science of Politics

From 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Hughes Hall and BearX will host a conversation about politics as well as a voter registration drive in Lewis Science Center 102.

The Unify Challenge CollegeBowl

From 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, Bears at the Ballot and BearX will host The Unify Challenge, an online guided video conversation with participants who are different from one another. Participants will talk through a survey about big goals for their country in categories like mental health, climate change, policing, student loans and immigration. Participants can sign up at unifyamerica.org/friends/ university-of-central-arkansas.

Photography exhibit

From 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will host a photography exhibit, “Cig Harvey: From Red to Violet,” in the Baum Gallery in McCastlain Hall.

Family Day 2022

From 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, UCA will welcome families back on campus with Family Day, where students and their family can explore UCA’s campus and enjoy a sampling of campus life. The full schedule of events can be found at uca.edu/ familyday.

Football tailgate

Before the football game at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, the athletics apartment will host a family day tailgate with games and fun on the practice football feld.

Diversity in Business

During x-period Tuesday, Oct. 4, the Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Honor Society, Business and Information Technology Club and Accounting Club will explore the importance of diversity in business in the College of Business Room 206.

Percussion recital

From 7:30p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, the music department will host a percussion recital with artist Oliver Molina and Joe Moore in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.

Alice Kristiansen concert draws in students

BY R EGAN B ELUE Staff Writer

Despite the day’s high temperatures, students gathered outside the Ronnie Williams Student Center to listen to Alice Kristiansen’s set of covers and original songs Sept. 20. Intertwined with her original music, Kristiansen sang covers of songs by Phoebe Bridgers and ended her set with a delicate cover of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.”

“We just really like working with [Kristiansen]. She’s a really good artist, and it’s just always a blast to work with her. And the students seem to love her, we had a good turnout today,” junior Student

Trey Massingill said.

Kristiansen said she has been a music fan for as long as she can remember. As a child, she was constantly singing, but her interest hit a bump in the road when she turned 12 and became embarrassed of performing. Retreating to her room, she taught herself guitar and sang in isolation for years. When she decided to share her talents with the world again, she uploaded her first video to YouTube, launching her career. Her Youtube following has since amassed to 958,000 subscribers.

Although Kristiansen began her career by singing covers of other artists’ music, she now has many original songs, including her most

that she wrote during the pandemic.

“It’s been fun to play some of the newer stuff because it’s definitely more personal because I wrote it all during COVID. So I wrote it by myself, and I was up in the middle of nowhere. So it’s just fun now being able to have things come together and do these shows from songs that I was writing while I was hunkered down,” Kristiansen said.

As for the content of Kristiansen’s EP and other music, she enjoys writing songs about complicated topics.

“I like writing songs about things that are maybe nuanced, or that I’m not even sure about

because writing it is a way to understand things for me. So I really like writing about things that are really weighing heavily on my mind because it’s kind of therapeutic in that way,” Kristiansen said.

Kristiansen understands the importance of building a social media presence as an aspiring artist, especially as someone who launched her career with a popular YouTube channel, but her biggest piece of advice to aspiring artists had more to do with the music itself.

“Be absolutely bullheaded about making exactly what you want to make because you’ll end up there eventually, it just depends on how much time it’ll take you … at the core

that you really like yourself … When you really believe in your own stuff, I think it’s really important,” Kristiansen said.

You can find Alice Kristiansen’s music on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

SAB had a hit on their hands with Kristiansen’s concert, and the hits are not stopping anytime soon. On Oct. 26, Fall Fest will be returning to UCA.

“[Fall Fest] is a huge carnival we do… that’s from noon to 6 p.m. We bring carnival rides, different activities and just a ton of fun things,” Massingill said.

More information about upcoming events can be found

Anthropology Club promotes study of cultures and humanity

BY JULIA TRANTHAM Sta Writer

UCA’s Anthropology Club is full of unique experiences for any student interested in human behaviors, culture and the overall study of humanity itself.

The club meets on the frst Tuesday of every month during X-period in Irby 308.

MSOC: Greek Cup

From 6p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, the men’s soccer team will play for the Greek Cup at the Bill Stephens Complex.

“During 2020, it was hard to branch out and meet new people, so I decided to join a club,” junior Lauren Elkins said. “While scrolling through CubConnect I stumbled across the anthropology club [and] I instantly joined.”

Being an anthropology major herself, Elkins had an immediate interest in the club and is currently the treasurer. Her main responsibility is managing the club’s funds.

“My favorite thing about this club would be the people,” Elkins said. “All [of] the offcers are responsible and understanding and all of the members are lovely people all interested in the same thing. Every meeting I fear the possibility of dying of laughter.” Elkins said she has gained a lot of interesting opportunities throughout her time in the club, including learning how to throw an atlatl, a type of stick originally used by indigenous peoples to propel a dart.

“I feel like this organization is unique because there aren’t any harsh requirements to join or [to] stay in the club,” Elkins said. “It’s a pretty laid back environment and every meeting just feels like a group of friends hanging out.”

Senior Ashley Courtois is the president of the Anthropology

Club. Last year was her frst year as an active member and as the vice president.

“My job [as president] is to organize a lot of the events, make posters, keep up to date with upcoming events and activities, as well as being a representative for the club towards other organizations,” Courtois said.

Courtois said she loves the community within the club.

“We all have a shared love for culture,” Courtois said.

“It’s so much fun to be surrounded by such interesting and intellectual individuals that want to learn more and more as well as being eager to participate in the activities and events that we host. Everyone is so kind and that kindness creates a great space for one another to build new relationships.” Courtois said.

Courtois said the biggest challenge was the reach for inviting more people to join the club.

“Many people assume that only anthropology majors and minors can join; in actuality, we love and welcome having nonmajors in the organization,” Courtois said.

“We believe that culture affects all aspects of our life and can be applied anywhere, so it’s great when we have people with perspectives outside of anthropology join.” Courtois said.

Throughout her time in the club, Courtois said she has had a lot of time to learn more about the subject.

“Through feld trips, attending seminars, movie nights and so much more, I’ve gotten to learn about certain

felds of anthropology or even random things that I would have otherwise never thought could correlate,” Courtois said.

Courtois said she would love to see more members join the club and display their mutual interest in anthropology.

“This club creates a space for people to come and casually learn about anthropology and how it can relate to so many other things,” Courtois said.

“[The club] is made up of an amazing group of people who welcome anyone with open arms.”

“The majority of our activities are super casual and that makes for a great environment to make new friends too,” Courtois said. “I would advise them to stop by one of our meetings and just get a feel for what’s going on.”

Photo courtesy of Ashley Courtois

Singer-songwriter Alice Kristiansen performs a mixture of original songs and covers in the UCA ampitheater Tuesday, Sept. 20. Kristiansen’s YouTube channel has amassed 958,000 subscribers and she has released music on various online platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Photo by Hannah Andrews

UCA’s Anthropology Club is made up of students with shared interests in human behaviors, culture and the study of humanity. The club puts on many events such as movie nights and feld trips. Students of all majors are encouraged to join the club.

RSOs encourage students to register to vote

BY TORRIE HERRINGTON Sta Writer

Registered Student Organizations set up tables around campus to aid in the voting registration process for students Sept. 20.

Tables were set up by Torreyson Library, the Ronnie Williams Student Center and the Lewis Science Center Atrium.

Junior Jaden Fleeks is a member of the Lambda Upsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

Delta Sigma Theta was one of the RSOs advocating for students to register for voting.

“One of our Five-Point Programmatic Thrust is political awareness and involvement,” Fleeks said.

“That’s one thing our sorority likes to emphasize, especially being young Black educated women.” Fleeks said.

The Five-Point Programmatic Thrust is the values the sorority centers their public service involvement around.

These values include educational and economic development, physical and mental health, international awareness and involvement and political awareness and involvement.

Students volunteered at the tables to aid their peers in registering to vote.

“[The purpose] is to get as many young voters, especially here on campus, involved and

make sure they are aware that they are able to make a change,” Fleeks said.

National Voter Registration Day aims to encourage students to incite change by voting for offcials who represent them.

“It’s important that young people are aware and vote because there are a lot of older offcials in offce,” Fleeks said.

“Times have defnitely changed, so I feel like, with the change in times, there should be a change with the newer generation in offce.”

Fleeks said that there are many students who just turned 18 on campus, so events like National Voter Registration Day can provide access to new information.

“Not just our organization, but others as well, allow you to have that avenue of knowledge that you didn’t have before, or that I didn’t have to come from my small town,” Fleeks said.

Freshman Harley Walls volunteered to work at the table set up by the First Generation Scholars Society.

“I feel like its very important for people to register to vote,” Walls said. “I felt like if I can help out with the process it would be benefcial not only to them but to me.”

The tables were set up in convenient places around campus to be available for the students.

“It’s very accessible,” Walls

said. “When people are walking, either to the library to study or to the student center to eat, they are able to pass by the student registration table.”

The upcoming midterm elections will take place Nov. 8, so the RSOs aim to get students registered before the registration deadline and in time to contribute their votes.

“It’s very important to get the people you want in those positions because those are the people who are making our laws,” Walls said.

“The president signs the

SPEAKER

laws that are from the Senate and the House of Representatives,” Walls said.

“It is very important that we electpeople that we want as a country in those positions so we can get the laws that we want to be passed.” Walls said.

Walls said that how our government is set up makes it important that as many people as possible take the time to go out and vote.

“We are a democracy,” Walls said. “It’s important that people vote so they can get their opinions and voices heard.”

Poet Asia Samson shares story through spoken word

BY KATHRYN THORNBERRY Sta Writer

Poet Asia Samson shared his experiences and hardships with UCA students through poetry in an event hosted by the Student Activities Board Sept. 22.

Samson began the event by telling students that even if your path in life doesn’t go as planned, fate has a better way of unfolding your destiny.

“Sometimes fate has a way of dismantling our lives to tell us ‘it’s OK, this way is better,’” Samson said.

Samson told the story of when he had testicular cancer in 2006. Samson used humor to hold himself together.

“Yay, sounds like a ball,”

Samson said. Samson shared the time he went through losing his sister, and the multiple miscarriages he and his wife experienced.

“Life is a coma we can still choose to wake up from,” Samson said, “Fate means not having to wait for the sun to come, because sometimes the sun doesn’t come. But we can still rise on our own.”

Samson said his intent while performing is not necessarily to inspire.

“It’s more so — I let people into the world,” Samson said. “I invite them to come into my world and what they take from it is their own selves. If they were inspired by it to write something, awesome, and if not, hopefully I gave them something to live their

life based off of.”

Hazel Bonilla is the graduate assistant for SAB. She said there was something special about the way Asia Samson performed that piqued her interest in performing for the school.

Bonilla said she goes to conferences to scout out performers that best suit the university.

“With spoken word artists, certain topics are just hard and uncomfortable,” Bonilla said.

“It’s important for the artist to be displayed in a comforting and easy way,” Bonilla said.

“And that’s what he does and that’s what we liked about him. Because his topics are so important and easy, even though they are very heavy and intense.”

PREVENTION

Bonilla said.

Bonilla also said she likes how he talks about what is real, and everyone takes it in without it being a forced conversation.

Junior Drew Stinson attended the spoken word event. She said it was the frst spoken word event she has attended, and she enjoyed it because she found the content relatable.

“I think it’s important to relate to poetry to realize that some of the experiences that are not normal, don’t isolate you from other people,” Stinson said.

Asia Samson will be touring across the United States, with colleges such as Salisbury University in Maryland and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota coming up in October.

Students sign anti-hazing pledge at “Bears Donut Haze”

BY OLIVIA SNELSON Sta Writer

During National Hazing Prevention Week, Order of Omega hosted a tabling event called “Bears Donut Haze” in the Ronnie Williams Student Center where they passed out doughnuts and encouraged students to sign an anti-hazing pledge.

The event took place Sept. 19 from 9-11 a.m.

“National Hazing Prevention Week is celebrated annually each September by colleges and universities across the country. One of our advisers, Shandreka (Dreka) McCullough came to me with the idea of events that we could host as an organization to help bring awareness to hazing,” Shrey Gopal, president of UCA’s Order of Omega chapter, said.

A big part of the event was helping students understand the importance of not hazing.

“This event allowed students to know the signs of hazing and be able to recognize when hazing is occurring. Students then signed the Anti-Hazing Pledge to make a commitment to prevent and stand against hazing,” Gopal said.

The pledge stated: “I pledge to prevent hazing before it occurs, stop hazing when I see it happening, report when I know it has transpired, and help empower others to do the same in their organizations, schools, and communities.”

All students, faculty and staff members were able to participate in signing the Anti-Hazing Pledge and learn more about not hazing. “We had several UCA students, faculty and staff sign the pledge. We encourage all students to sign the pledge — not just Greek students because hazing is something that can occur in any organization,” Gopal said.

This was a reason Gopal

believes the eventt performed well.

“I believe that the event was successful because there is a common misconception that hazing only happens in Greek organizations. However, there are multiple opportunities for hazing to occur in other various organizations. After learning about the importance of antihazing, these students were able to spread their knowledge to their organizations. Many students made a commitment by signing the pledge and have committed to carry out their pledge throughout their time at UCA,” Gopal said.

UCA has a zero-tolerance policy against hazing and it is also against Arkansas State law. Colleges across the country, including UCA, have had to deal with punishing and putting a stop to an organization’s hazing.

“Hazing is harmful to organizations because it goes against the core values of our

Greek-lettered organizations. Awareness regarding hazing should include: what hazing actually is, the steps to prevent it from occurring and the steps to report it if it does occur,” Gopal said.

Various events were held on UCA’s campus as part of National Hazing Prevention Week.

“Other events that we hosted included: “Don’t be a dum dum” tabling event where we gave out free promotional items, and Dum-Dum suckers and encouraged people to sign the pledge,” Gopal said.

“We also hosted our annual Greek Speak event where all Greek students come together to hear from speakers about relevant topics about the development of the Greek community,” Gopal said.

More information about anti-hazing can be found at uca.edu/gogreek/hazingprevention.

People of UCA: Senior Hailey Beliew enjoys competive fencing and working in library

BY ANDRAEA AGUILERA Sta Writer

When senior Hailey Beliew isn’t studying or working at the local library, she spends time fencing at the Central Arkansas Fencing Club in Little Rock.

Beliew started fencing in February after a friend sent her information about local classes.

She spends every Tuesday evening practicing and learning new skills.

“It’s such a fun sport and the group I fence with is great,” Beliew said.

“I would have to say that fencing is probably the most interesting thing about me,” Beliew said.

So far, Beliew has participated in one tournament and ended up tying for third place.

She plans to keep up with the sport as long as she has the ability and place to.

Beliew’s favorite fencing styles are foil and sabre.

The foil weapon is light and involves scoring by hitting the opponent in the torso

with the blade tip. In sabre competitions, the target area is the waist up and fencers can thrust and cut the opponent.

“Of the two of them I much prefer foil. I prefer it because it feels like something I have a better understanding of, even though I’m still learning,” Beliew said.

Other than fencing, Beliew swam when she was younger and participated in marching band in high school.

“I was on color guard and we spent so much time running around and dancing on the feld that it has to count as a sport,” Beliew said.

“I would say that I’ve enjoyed all of the [sports] I’ve done and appreciated them at different points of my life.” Beliew said.

The senior said that color guard and fencing remind her of each other because both of them require focus on footwork.

“With fencing, I’ve learned that I have to stay dedicated to my goals,” Beliew said.

“It may be diffcult at frst, but I have to keep practicing. I also have learned that I can’t go into [fencing] — or life — without

some sort of plan and that I need to think ahead,” Beliew said.

As far as education goes, Beliew is an English major with a minor in gender studies. A major interest for her is editing.

“I went with English because I’d like to say I’m pretty good at writing,” Beliew said.

“I also love reading so English felt like it was the best plan. I went with gender studies because it worked pretty well with English,” Beliew said.

After she graduates in the spring, Beliew plans to expand her education with graduate school to get her master’s degree in library and information science.

Beliew currently works at the Faulkner County Library and hopes to stay in the library environment.

“The more library experience I have, the better chance I have of being offered more. I love what I do and want to keep doing it,” Beliew said.

Aside from writing for her classes, reading books she picks up from work or fencing each week, Beliew enjoys spending time with her two cats.

Story and photos by Amber Austen ” “

“I grew up loving The Little Mermaid. When [Disney] announced years ago that the actress was Black, I didn’t care; I was glad they picked someone who could actually sing and play the part which has nothing to do with her being Black.”

Brook Barker freshman

“I have no problem with The Little Mermaid being Black. I think it’s really cool how Disney is incorporating di erences and how it gives young Black women something to look up to as opposed to just seeing white women everywhere.”

Destiny Perry senior Jacey Engram freshman

“I think it’s good that they’re being more inclusive towards di erent races. I think it’s about time that we have more people of color in main character roles. I think it’s perfectly ne that a Black woman is playing Ariel, and I think it’s a step forward and progressive.”

“I think the controversy is very unnecessary. I think it’s a good thing that they’re branching out and having more Black princesses because as of right now there is only one. I like it, and I’m going to enjoy the movie.”

“I think it’s good for representation for little Black girls and people of color.”

Kyndsey Russell freshman Erin Holmes freshman

“I really like it because it’s di erent. I wish we had more Black princesses overall.”

Dru Gilliam freshman

What are your thoughts on the controversy surrounding The Little Mermaid?

Photo courtesy of Hailey Beliew

Hailey Beliew is an English major with a minor in gender studies.

Beliew fences in the Central Arkansas Fencing Club after classes.

Registered Student Organizations set up tables around campus for National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, Sept. 20. National Voter Registration Day encourages students to register to vote.

Photo by Torrie Herrington

Upcoming Games

Women’s soccer

5 p.m., Sept. 29 at Liberty Men’s and women’s cross country

Sept. 30, Arkansas

Chili Pepper Festival at Fayetteville Volleyball

6 p.m., Sept. 30 at UCA

Men’s soccer

12 p.m., Oct.1 at UCA Football

4 p.m., Oct. 1 at UCA

Editor’s

Football su ers loss ahead of rst ASUN match

BY KEVIN KING Sta Writer

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

With 11 games under its belt, the UCA women’s soccer team (3-6-2, ASUN 1-2-1) has yet to make any notable strides this season.

The Bears’ second conference game against Eastern Kentucky ended in a 3-2 loss and a contributing reason for the shortfall of the team is its weak offense.

A majority of the forward line up is unseasoned, consisting primarily of freshmen and sophomores with only one senior.

Due to the low number of upperclassmen, both the team’s chemistry and individual skill is shaky.

Many of the forwards in the recent game were easily overtaken by Eastern Kentucky’s defense, as they weren’t fast enough in their passing or shots.

Whether it be the opponent or a lack of coordination, the UCA women’s soccer team only made eight shots in total, whereas Eastern Kentucky made 33.

The objective of a forward is to be the main offensive line when scoring goals, but the Bears are slacking at this.

The two goals made at the recent game weren’t made by forwards, but rather senior midfielder Abby Gibson and graduate defender Taylor Webb.

When comparing the nine goals the Bears have made this season, only two were scored by forwards.

Both of the forward goals were scored in a single game against the Little Rock Trojans, a team with a similar track record.

A possible reason for the low goal count compared to past seasons could be the absence of Emma Hawkins, a former UCA forward who in the past was one of the top offensive players in the conference.

While with the Bears, Hawkins would score an average of one to two goals almost every game.

These missing points could have been essential to winning several games this season.

With the conference only in its beginning there is still time for the Bears to make a comeback offensively, even if they’re fighting an uphill battle.

The University of Central Arkansas’ football team fought hard but could not clutch the win against Southeast Missouri’s Redhawks (31).

By the game’s conclusion, the Bears (1-3, 0-0 ASUN), had taken a 35-27 loss.

In the first quarter, The Bears’ defense had their hands full with Southeastern Missouri quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, who posed a pass and rushing threat, but they stood up the Redhawks on UCA’s four yardline. Now the Bears’ offense was given a chance. However, SEMO’s defense caused junior quarterback Will McElvain to fumble the ball, leading to a scoop and score. The score was 0-7 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, UCA’s

offense began to get a foothold. A pass by sophomore Kylin James found junior Jarrod Barnes for an 80-yard touchdown. A drive later, sophomore defensive back TD Williams scooped up a fumble and took it in for a touchdown. Moreover, many complete passes by Will McElvain led to a field goal by Hayden Ray.

However, SEMO’s offense was not done yet either. By the end of the half, they completed three more touchdowns, two passing and one from a kick return.

At the end of the half, the score was 17-28.

In the third quarter, both teams’ defenses came to life, making scoring a rare occurrence. The only points scored were by senior Hayden Ray, who put another one through the uprights for his second field goal of the night.

At the start of the fourth quarter,

the score was 20-28. UCA was within one score of the Redhawks.

However, Redhawks’ quarterback Paxton DeLaurent showed his skills on the ground with an 11-yard rush to the goal line. This put the Redhawks up two scores. Despite a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore Darius Hale, UCA could not close the gap before the final buzzer sounded on Houck Field.

McElvain led the game in passing, ranking up a total of 284 yards and 19 out of 30 completions. Hale had 12 carries for a total gain of 29 yards. Jarrod Barnes had three receptions for 113 yards.

Senior Caden Brown of UCA’s D-line said SEMO’s pass-andscramble threat was a difficult strategy to beat.

“When it comes to defending a scrambling [quarterback], it becomes very difficult for a D-line. You have to

understand this guy will move around and not just stand there. So it adds another dimension to a team when the [quarterback] can scramble,” Caden said.

Coach Nathan Brown is looking ahead to the Bears’ next match.

“We wanted to keep the momentum from the first win of the year at Idaho State,” Brown said. “We had a good week of practice and put a good plan together, we just got out-executed by a good team on Saturday.”

Brown said his team can improve through small things. “We just have to do the details right … Our talent keeps us in all games but we have to gain an edge with our execution and details moving forward.”

UCA will be at home Saturday Oct. 1, playing Austin Peay in their first ASUN conference match of the season at 4 p.m.

ASUN LOSS

Volleyball fails to escape talons of Eastern Kentucky

BY ANDREW MCMAHAN Sta Writer

The Kennesaw State Owls (9-3, 2-0 ASUN) swooped up the victory against UCA’s volleyball team (7-7, 0-2 ASUN) with a set score of 3-2.

In the second all-time meeting on the volleyball court between these two programs, the Owls secured their second Atlantic Sun Conference victory while the Sugar Bears fell for their second consecutive ASUN match-up.

from the Sugar Bears by a score of 28-26.

In the fourth set, UCA had the lead early. This led to a timeout by the Owls that did not seem to affect the outcome of the set. UCA held on to secure the fourth set by a score of 25-20 to force a fifth set. It was later in the set — when both teams were tied at 12 — that the intensity of the match grew to its highest level. The Owls went on to score the last three points of the fifth set and claimed the set with a score of 15-12.

Taylor Webb maintains lifelong soccer dedication

BY OLIVIA SNELSON Sta Writer

Taylor Webb, a graduate student, is a member of the UCA women’s soccer team and is from Lindale, Texas.

Webb plays the position of defender, which she has played her entire time at UCA.

In a recent game against Eastern Kentucky University, Webb made a goal from midfield.

“I have played soccer my whole life. My mother has actually been a college coach my whole life so picking it up was just natural to me,” Webb said.

“l love soccer because of how well you get to know others and the adrenaline that comes with game days. There is nothing like your name getting called in the starting lineup and you have everyone cheering for you before the game.”

Webb has had experience playing other sports, specifically basketball and volleyball, but they did not bring her as much joy as soccer does.

“Because my mom has coached college girls all of my life I’ve always looked up to them. I have always wanted to be in their position and I am proud that I have done just that,” Webb said.

Webb said that her favorite thing about playing for UCA was the relationship she has built with her teammates.

“I love UCA and the soccer team here. We all are a family and it is such a blessing to know them all individually. School, soccer and life in general is hard so it’s nice to have people to confide in,” Webb said.

She also loves how supportive the Conway community is.

“I love how in Conway you can wear a UCA shirt and everyone already supports you,” Webb said.

Outside of soccer, Webb is going to UCA to earn her master’s degree in business administration. She earned her undergraduate degree at UCA in risk and insurance management geared toward finance.

“I’m not really sure what I want to do yet so getting a basic MBA will help me see what classes I enjoy more than others and hopefully help me decide,” Webb said.

Webb is also passionate about makeup.

“My other big interest outside of soccer is definitely makeup. I love applying it, watching videos and anything else that has to do with it. It is a big passion and something I want to pursue in the future,” Webb said.

The Owls took set one with no real issues other than a late push by the Bears. The score of set one ended 25-18 in favor of Kennesaw. In set two, UCA would bounce back by grabbing the lead early. The Sugar Bears managed to grab a 11-6 lead. UCA did not relinquish the lead en route to a second set victory with a score of 25-19.

The third set was a bit of a struggle for both sides. The two teams battled as 25 points was not enough for the third set. Kennesaw State ultimately took the set

UCA saw solid production from the team. Junior Marissa McKelvey led the Sugar Bears in assists with 26. However, freshman Kayla Coons added 24 of her own assists in the match.

Sophomore Mackenzie Vernon provided strong numbers with a teamleading 16 kills. Senior Alexis Stumbough contributed 11 kills for the Sugar Bears as well.

The Sugar Bears well next match-up with in-state opponent, the Little Rock Trojans Sept. 27. The match will begin at 6 p.m.

Women’s soccer o ense lacks vigor

Photo courtesy of UCAsports.com

Graduate student Taylor Webb (right) runs from Lipscomb junior Shelby Craft. Webb has played for UCA’s women’s soccer team as a defender since 2018.

UCA Sophomore T.D. Williams jumps to escape the grasp of a Southeast Missouri player. The Bears lost the matchup, it being their fourth match of the season and their third loss before going into their frst ASUN conference game against the Austin Peay Governors.

Photo by Mia Waddell

For the perpetually disappointed girls, drowning in a puddle of their own tears and screaming the lyrics to an Olivia Rodrigo song — block his number.

There is not a person on this green earth who could convince me that keeping in contact with exfings is anything but a horribly self-destructive act. I’ve heard it all, the whining about not wanting to burn bridges, about wanting to stay in his life and not be alone.

Listen, you’re creating problems for yourself while exhausting the people who truly care about you.

All those hours of texting your closest friends, detailing the heartbreak, the disappointment, the extent to which he disrespected you — and God! Your friends are patient; I know mine are. Then he texts, what do you do? With rosy cheeks, you kick your feet, cross your heart, and thank the heavens you’re so lucky.

But why entertain someone that makes you feel horrible about yourself? Do not abuse your limited reserves of patience and kindness in a relationship that makes you feel hard to love. There are no excuses. Put yourself frst, and block his number.

aside, I nearly choked when he texted that he wanted to remain friends. It dawned on me that moment; I am not your friend. You do not respect me.

I will not be your cheerleader, the girl you send funny TikToks to, your emotional mule or an ego boost any longer. You are a stranger to me now, because the person I thought you were does not exist.

My experience is not insular. In my 20 years of existence, I’ve heard the same story told a million

If he won’t stop staring at the exit sign, let him leave. Slam the door on his way out. There is absolutely no use in keeping someone around who doesn’t want you. It may hurt, and you may miss him, but I promise, no contact is the only way to go. Don’t humiliate yourself because you thought not setting boundaries might make him want

The Voice Conway School Board proposals hinder progress

The Conway School Board proposed two close-minded policies regarding bathroom use and overnight room assignments at its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 13.

These policies, 4.20 and 4.56.2, target gender-based issues with a defnition of as signed sex, invalidating the gender expres sions, identities and dysphoria of transgender and nonbinary students in Conway’s public school system.

The board defned sex as, “the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identifed on the individual’s original birth certifcate.”

Policy 4.20, states that, in order to “ensure privacy and safety,” each school in the district must require every multiple occupancy restroom or changing area to be used exclusively for the male or female sex. This means students must use the restroom that coincides with the sex on their birth certifcate, regardless of whether or not they express themselves in that manner.

The policy states that each school must provide a reasonable accommodation to any individual who does not wish to comply with the provisions of this policy. “A reasonable accommodation shall be access to a single oc cupancy restroom or changing room.”

Policy 4.56.2 forces students to share rooms on overnight trips with other students who match their assigned sex. The “reason able” accommodation for this policy means that students who do not wish to comply will have to purchase their own single occupancy room. These “reasonable accommodations” are the exact opposite. They are a Band-Aid attempting to hold these imprudent policies together — an attempt to hide behind their discriminatory beliefs.

BY MIA WADDELL

This advice is intimidating. When I frst heard it I scoffed at the idea. Perhaps the idea of prioritizing your own mental and physical well-being is an alien one. That’s okay, we aren’t all gurus of self-love.

Look at it from this perspective — are you embarrassing yourself? For humor and the sake of a persuasive argument, I’ll tell you it took me being dumped by the same guy three consecutive times to fnally hit that block button.

How foolish can you get? The rose-colored glasses aren’t that effective, right? Humiliation

The National Football League is better than the National Basketball Association.

While we are in the frst few weeks of the NFL’s season, the excitement has been nothing less than overwhelming for even an experienced NFL fan like me.

Just in the recent weeks of professional football, we have seen a majority of the endings be quite unique and wild.

There has already been a game that ended in a tie, something that does not happen every season.

Some people may say I am biased with my opinion due to the start of football season. However, I would stand by this opinion at any time, even during the peak of the NBA playoffs.

A longer season negates the value of regular season games. Each NBA team plays 82 regular season games while each NFL team’s regular season consists of 17.

The difference between the two leagues is substantial in the number of games they play.

When more games are played, there is less value in the results of these games. With only one game a week per team, an NFL game draws more fans because they only get one chance to watch their team play that week.

An NBA team can have up to four games a week leaving more opportunities for fans to miss games. This translates to lower attendance numbers in NBA arenas. When games mean more, people will show up.

I promise if he wanted to, he would— and he doesn’t! So give it up. You have to stop touching a wound for it to heal.

By removing him from your life, you are freeing up space to grow. His negative energy keeps you clutched like a rose in his hand— never letting you bloom.

You deserve to blossom, and you’ve got to get out of that man’s grip on you to do it. You should not change who you are just because someone plays you. Continue being a sweet hopeless romantic who gets excited about silly crushes.

But please, do not pour your pure energy and intentions into a man who has shown you he’ll just throw it out. Instead, fll up people who appreciate your effort and reciprocate it. Then, you might fnally feel the love you deserve.

These policies will affect transgender students substantially. They are not nonbi nary, so forcing them to either use a restroom that does not affrm their identity or to use a faculty, nongendered restroom erases their identity and ostracizes them from their peers.

The school board has taken a direct stance that forces these students into a box they don’t believe they ft in. The real reasonable accommodation would be to stop worrying about the details on someone’s birth certif cate, and focus on fostering an environment of acceptance and learning.

From its gross misuse of assigned sex in relation to issues of gender expression, it ap pears the school board is ill-informed on the topic. It may have some learning and accep tance to do itself.

Linda Hargis, who was recently elected to the board in 2022, has been outspoken on the topic, claiming she is concerned that the conversation centers around transgender and nonbinary students, and does not include consideration for cisgendered students.

The NBA has so many games that star players have even started to sit out certain games for rest. The only time players get to rest in the NFL is because they are injured. NFL games are too valuable for players to sit

There is much more entertainment value in the way NFL games play out, as well as how they can end. I would love to explain all the ways that the NFL can end, but that would take far too long. However, for the NBA, there are only a handful of ways a game can end. For one, there are no ties. That means there is always a winner. Also, there are only three methods of scoring in the NBA, a two-point basket, a three-point basket and a one-point free throw. This leaves only three ways for wild endings to happen in the NBA. Wild endings draw viewership as well.

The NFL has feld goals, interception and fumble returns for touchdowns, running touchdowns, passing touchdowns, safeties and punt or kick returns for touchdowns.

The variation in which these touchdowns happen is almost always unique as well. The amount of scoring opportunities leaves more excitement to be had. The physicality of the NFL creates so much appeal in comparison to the NBA.

There is nothing like watching massive grown men knock the absolute crap out of each other. And while yes, that is dangerous, it sure is entertaining to watch.

This comes as no surprise, as Hargis ran a partisan campaign for her seat on the board, alongside new members Jason Sandefer and David Naylor Jr., in which they proudly plas tered their faces onto one campaign poster and called themselves, “strong conservative voices.” Not only is it unorthodox to run a partisan campaign for a school board elec tion, but it also reveals an agenda.

There is no room for partisanship on a school board. The job entails providing resources and support for all students, not just the ones with parents who support your conservative ideas. You cannot sweep these issues under the rug because you do not sup port them. The results could be catastrophic.

According to the 2019 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, “sizable percentages of LGBTQ students avoided places at school because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable, most notably spaces that are traditionally segregated by sex in schools, such as bathrooms and locker rooms.”

The survey found that transgender students were more likely to avoid these spaces.This is due to the fact that it may force students to “disclose their transgender status before they are ready.” By enforcing adher ence to traditional gender norms, the school board is refusing to progress. It cannot act as if transgender and nonbinary students are not valid in their expression, solely because that expression does not align with their personal, and political, beliefs. The school board’s job is to ensure that every student feels safe and prepared to receive an education. These oldfashioned policies are not achieving that goal.

Bennett Tinnermon

Delaney

Gabe

List compiled by Ashlyn Little Staff Writer

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

Viola Davis owns the silver screen in “The Woman King,” leading a tribe of ferce female warriors that overcome the flm’s generic storyline.

The action movie stars Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu, with John Boyega and Lashana Lynch in supporting roles.

Taking place in 19th century West Africa, the kingdom of Dahomey has become well-known for its vicious female army, the Agojie.

After refusing to marry abusive men, Nawi (played by Thuso Mbedu) is offered to the king.

Before long, Nawi joins the Agojie, hoping to impress General Nanisca (played by Viola Davis).

Nawi quickly makes friends with different characters, including the experienced warrior Izogie (played by Lashana Lynch).

Following rigorous training, the Agojie go to war with the Oyo Empire in hopes of saving their people and putting an end to the slave trade.

When it comes to watching a purely entertaining fick, “The Woman King,” is far from the worst choice.

The flm builds its enjoyment from its characters’ interesting stories and lively personalities, similar to how the Marvel flms bring in their audience.

Whether you fnd Nanisca’s secretive past mysterious, Nawi’s journey of self-discovery empowering or Izogie’s banter hilarious, everyone will fnd a way to bond with one of the characters, if not all of them.

While the writing for these characters is serviceable, you learn

to love them due to the actresses.

Viola Davis brings stoic but vulnerable energy to the screen that makes it impossible to look away, whereas Thuso Mbedu delivers an intelligent performance, knowing exactly when to be a naive young girl or merciless warrior.

Without these actresses, the moments of desolation, love and action wouldn’t land the same.

They could have used CGI for the war scenes but instead got actresses who have worked hard to

deliver visceral, practical fghts.

The flm uses this to its advantage as these scenes are gritty and intense without being bloody, offering us enough sound effects and clever cinematography to feel violent.

When combining these aspects with the period accurate set design and costuming, your eyes are easily drawn in.

Although the flm overfows with positive aspects, there aren’t enough to save its rather forgettable

RHYTHYM & BLUES

narrative. In a similar vein to other adventurous flms such as “Divergent” or the “Harry Potter” franchise, it’s a simple plot of young heroes training to become the strongest of them all.

“The Woman King” relies on far too many tropes such as the best friend and rival or the competition and training montage.

What makes it stand out the most is that these tropes are typically ones you would fnd in early 2000s flms, not in 2022.

To combat this problem, the pacing of the flm is rather quick, but that comes with its own set of issues.

The frst half of the flm speeds through its plot points, making side characters such as Shante and Ode feel one note with only a few lines each.

Along with the side characters, entire plot-centric characters such as the main antagonist and love interest are treated as check marks for the narrative instead of humans.

The action fick may have a handful of problems, but when focused on its battle-worn leads, the flm stands tall.

“The Woman King” was released on Sept. 16 and is currently in theaters.

Reyez releases unadulterated soundtrack to love, breakups

BY DELANEY VAN WILPE Entertainment Editor

Jessie Reyez returns with a perfect breakup album, “YESSIE,” and garners the hype that came from her pandemicridden debut album “Before Love Came to Kill Us” in 2020.

This album takes listeners on a journey of loving and losing and through all the ups and downs of coming to terms with a breakup and fnding one’s selfworth.

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ lacks story progression

BY FELICITY AUXIER Sta Writer

“Don’t Worry Darling” captivates viewers with top-tier cinematography but lacks in development and acting.

The flm stars Florence Pugh as the main character Alice, Harry Styles as Alice’s husband Jack and Chris Pine as Frank, the head of the Victory project. It is directed by Olivia Wilde, who also plays the supporting role of Bunny, Alice’s best friend.

Set in a classic 1950’s cookie-cutter world, known as the community of Victory, bright colors, warm moods and idealized life dominate the scenes, contrasted with cut scenes of chaos and dark colors. It follows Alice on her journey to discover the truth about the Victory project.

The mood is effectively established through the cinematography, the use of refections, cut scenes and camera angles which leave the viewer flled with a mix of comfort and anxiety. The viewer is left to question the reality of the flm.

“Don’t Worry Darling” creates the “perfect world” expertly. It presents an idyllic life-style through a combination of colorful and symmetrical sets displayed throughout the flm.

The acting was underwhelming compared to what I expected out of Pugh and Styles, while Pine effectively flled his role.

1. Materials matter

When it comes to fall fashion, fun patterns and materials are your friends.

Flannels, knits, corduroy and plaid are some of my personal favorites to spice up a fall wardrobe. No matter how boring or basic the rest of your outft may be, adding a patterned piece immediately cultivates immaculate fall vibes. A fannel over a t-shirt is essentially part of the unspoken “uniform” of the season. Chunky knit sweaters can bring out the cozy feel of fall.

Patterned pants are a great way to make an outft more fun — try plaid pants for a more studious look, or corduroy pants for a retro fall feel.

Pugh’s efforts to convey emotion through her character were lacking in depth, comparatively to one of her previous flms “Midsommar.” Similarly in this flm, I found it hard to submerge myself into her character’s emotion and take it seriously.

On the other hand, Styles is somewhat early in his acting career and it clearly shows in this flm. At times, his acting was almost comical in serious scenes. The chemistry between Alice and Jack was missing, but could have been on purpose for the sake of the plot.

Pine perfectly executed his role, creating a mysterious yet charming persona. The cultleader energy he exuded was welldeveloped and successfully drew me into his character. Without Pine, the movie would have tremendously lacked in seriousness and mood.

Failing to capitalize on such a captivating story line, the flm took way too long to reach answers for the viewers’ questions when it could have created a stronger plot and characters.

Throughout the flm, viewers know something is off, but it is almost impossible to put your fnger on exactly what is wrong. Slowly — very slowly — bits of information are presented, but it’s a mystery as to what it is. In the last 20 minutes, it is fnally revealed, leaving most of the movie anticlimactic.

“Don’t Worry Darling” was Sept. 23

2. Layering is key

Elevating your style for fall is as simple as wearing more clothes. If you ever fnd yourself looking for ways to make an average fall outft feel more put together, the key is to add layers. When most people think of layering, they think of throwing a jacket over what they’re already wearing, and while they’re not totally wrong, there are more ways to layer an outft. Wearing long sleeve tops like turtle necks, collar shirts or plain t-shirts under short sleeve or sleeveless tops, wearing sweaters or sweatshirts over collared or high-neck shirts, or simply wearing socks that peek out over the top of boots can add layers to an outft. Layering is essential for fall in Arkansas where the weather can change by the hour.

When she opens the album with “MOOD” and raps, “I get along with most men, more than I do with some women,” I was a little turned off. But, she continues spitting for the frst minute of the song until the chorus hits. By the second verse, she faunts about how well she’s been doing and raps, “Caskets, caskets for all of the has-beens/ Who wouldn’t help me out, now it’s zoom, zoom past you.”

Starting the album with “MOOD” is a commentary about what this album is about. Some people may have kicked dirt in Reyez’s face, but she is coming out on top in the end. In that same regard, ending the album with the Spanish-English track “ADIÓS AMOR,” gives both Reyez and the listeners closure. She sings about leaving the things behind that no longer serve her, like relationships and reminiscing on the past, and it feels triumphant.

Although it feels more like a breakup album, the production of the album is dynamic. Each song has a distinct sound, and one of my favorite songs production-wise is “HITTIN.” It has the makings of a classic R&B track. But, most importantly, when she sings, “‘Cause there’s something in thе way that the moon is hittin’/ That’s making you look like you could be more than just a friend,” she really emphasizes the word “hittin’” with gumption.

The Spanish-English track “TITO’S” is noticeably produced by Calvin Harris. It is upbeat and sounds like just another pop track on the radio. Despite it being in the ballpark of basic, it is a refreshing track on a slower-paced album.

6lack is the only feature to appear on the 11-track album

3. Invest in good denim

If there is one article of clothing to invest in for your fall wardrobe, it should be good denim. Jeans have been around for what feels like forever, and while a certain cut or wash may go in and out of style, they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. On just about any fall day, you could reach for a pair of jeans and create the perfect outft for whatever the occasion, whether it be going to class, the pumpkin patch or a coffee date. It’s always important to have classic, blue denim in your wardrobe, but it’s also fun to have a pair of colored denim in your wardrobe too. Jeans are a good base for any outft, so it is worth the not-so-pretty price to buy a quality pair that you can wear all season, and year, long.

with “Forever,” which is a standout track. She worked with him on her last album on the song “Imported” as well, and the two prove to be quite the duo. The high point of “Forever” is in the post-chorus when she pleads, “Baby, you should stay forever.”

And a deep background vocal complements her and sings, “I think you should put your bag down, you should never leave.”

In some songs she sounds like she’s over her ex like in “MUTUAL FRIEND,” which she debuted as the frst single of the album on Jimmy Kimmel Live in August, and “QUEEN ST. W.”

“MUTUAL FRIEND,” another stand out track, alludes to a mutual friend being a source of the end of a relationship. She airs out her feelings and sings, “This heartbreak morphed into hate.”

Reyez’s vocals in “MUTUAL FRIEND” is really what makes it so prominent on the album. Although the track sounds somber, she fnds a way to fre back at her estranged

4. Comfort comes frst Fall is the ultimate comfort season, so let your wardrobe refect that. There’s a common misconception that comfortable clothes can’t be stylish; however, just because you’re dressing comfy doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish too. Most of us live in sweatshirts, sweatpants and leggings when fall weather rolls around. Sweatshirts and sweaters can be styled with jeans or fun pants or layered as previously mentioned. Those of us that love leggings know that they can easily be dressed up or down, depending on what type of top and shoe you style them with. If you can fnd ways to style your “comfy clothes” for different occasions, you’ll be living the best of both worlds in your fall outfts.

lover. She savagely sings, “If you died tomorrow, I don’t think I’d cry/ I gave you one too many nights.”

In the chorus of “QUEEN St. W,” she fuels the fre further and sings, “The bitches you want, want me.”

But, in other songs, like “STILL C U,” she shares the sadness and vulnerability that one experiences when coming to terms with a breakup. Reyez goes back and forth in the song between missing her ex and remembering how he treated her. Ultimately, she arrives at the conclusion and sings, “It never matters what I do, I just can’t get away from you.”

“EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT DEMO” is the lowest part of the album, emotionally speaking, but another high point in terms of Reyez’s display of emotion. She sings in a very low, somber tone and can convey to listeners where she is on her journey.

Part 1 of the demo sets the scene of Reyez meeting her ex’s new girlfriend at a party. Part 2 begins by her saying, “You get better when you fnally fucking tired of being sad.”

“YESSIE” is overall a relatable album that tugs at your heart strings or even may encourage you to seek revenge on an ex. However you may receive it, it is worth a listen.

5. When in doubt, wear neutrals Every season has a color palette that people associate it with, and a quick trick to perfectly dress for a specifc season is to follow that color palette. Fall is associated with a neutral color palette, which makes dressing for the season super simple. Reaching for tan, black, brown, cream and rusty, burnt oranges will put you on the right track for achieving your desired fall look. These seasonal neutrals are easy to style and will match just about everything. Neutral-colored clothes can be easily styled with any of the previously mentioned tips for a perfectly festive yet fashionable look.

Harrry Styles (left) and Florence Pugh star in “Don’t Worry Darling.”

The flm released to theaters Sept. 23.

Viola Davis who plays General Nanisca, and John Boyega, who plays King Ghezo, star in “The Woman King.” The flm released to theaters Sept. 16.

Photo courtesy

“YESSIE” can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Pandora.

Musician Jessie Reyez signs CD’s of her latest album “YESSIE.” The album is her second studio album and released Sept. 16.

Photo courtesy of www.shop.jessiereyez.com

Although it feels more like a breakup album, the production of the album is dynamic. Each song has a distinct sound.

Women’s soccer grabs rst conference win

trade it.”

Despite the win, Coach Jeromy Bishop still wants to see his team improve.

Teetering on a scoreless game, UCA’s women’s soccer team captured its first conference win deep into the match with a hurdling shot from senior Sydney Brough.

It was a shutout win over Austin Peay with a score of 1-0 on Thursday, Sept. 22.

The goal also marked Brough’s first game-winning kick of the season.

“I wasn’t able to score at the start of the season, just in a little slump. But I tried not to worry as I knew that if I kept my head down and kept working it would come,” Brough said. “Helping the team with this goal as our first ASUN win feels pretty good but I couldn’t have done it without the girls around me.”

Freshman forward Tristyn Pavatt assisted Brough, her first assist of the season.

Pavatt leads the pack of freshmen with a game-winning goal against the UALR Trojans, an assist against Austin Peay and 4 shots on goal season wide.

“It felt really good. I’m thankful for the opportunity I have to play for UCA and the team. I’m glad that we were able to secure the win last night. It’s amazing,” Pavatt said.

Brough acknowledged the freshman’s kick and said it changed the course of the game, “Tristyn is a freshman with a lot of great qualities. She is young and still learning how we play as a team. Her effort last night was what mattered and ultimately changed the game with her assist. She just needs to keep giving her all and she will be an impact player,” Brough said.

Pavatt is the only member of the team from Conway. Having played at Conway

high school, a home game for her is truly an at-home game.

“I love being in my hometown and

close to my family,” Pavatt said. “Staying close was something that was really important to me and I definitely would not

“[UCA] played well, at times they played really well. We’ve got to clean up a few things where we can take advantage of what they’re giving us. We were, a little bit, playing into their hands at times, especially in the first half,” Bishop said.

The first half of the game was scoreless, but not without a hardy effort from the Governors who had 14 shots to UCA’s 2. Freshman goalkeeper Kajsa Pruner secured 5 saves against Austin Peay.

The lack of shots from UCA kept Austin Peay’s goalkeeper at one save until the clock ran out.

The Governors seemed to lose their spark after halftime. Austin Peay took 6 shots in the second, less than half of their initial effort, and let Brough grab the only goal of the game with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Bishop said the team shined in the latter part of the game.

“In the second half, we figured it out and played where we needed to. We were able to create a lot more opportunities because of it. Sydney getting the goal was awesome. It was a great team effort. Both keepers played well on goal. It was great,” Bishop said. “We’re happy to have the win and the time all really contributed to it. It’s just about recovery, [that’s where] a lot of the work is done. It’s just about getting ready to go again in three days.”

The win brought the Bears to 3-5-2 overall and 1-1-1 in ASUN conference. Their next game was against Lipscomb University on Sept. 26. The Bears lost 2-0.

Men’s soccer loses rst-half lead against Ti gers

BY SYDNEY CYR News Editor

The UCA men’s soccer team lost to Memphis 6-4 Sept. 20 despite leading the first half 4-1.

Four UCA players scored a goal in the first half, but Memhpis came back strong in the second half, scoring five goals.

Bernard Assibey-Rhule, a transfer graduate student, scored the first goal for the Bears 11 minutes into the game, which was quickly followed with a second goal by junior Rubyn Singh Gill.

Senior Karim Diao scored the third goal for the Bears, which was also his first goal of the season.

“I like to score and scoring does a number for my confidence, so I was really excited to get a goal and also to see Karim get his first goal of the year as well,” AssibeyRhule said.

After Memphis scored a goal, junior Jerry Gutierrez scored the fourth goal for the Bears with just 44 seconds left in the first half of the game.

Gutierrez said he was glad to score a goal, but “it’s

something that doesn’t mean much, especially when we concede six,” Gutierrez said. “I’d rather win a game with a small goal margin and a clean sheet instead of conceding multiple goals.”

Memphis recovered in the second half, scoring two goals in the first 11 minutes.

UCA fought to hold onto the lead, but Memphis scored three more goals to win the game.

Assibey-Rhule said he had “mixed emotions” about the game overall and that the team had “lots of lessons” to learn from how the game turned out.

“We started out strong and anytime you can score four goals in the first half, it’s a positive, but obviously blowing a lead that big is not good,” Assibey-Rhule said. “It was a hard fought game, even though it didn’t go the way we wanted.”

Diao said the game was “tough” and that “mentally, it was a roller coaster.”

Gutierrez said the team’s defense has room for improvement.

“We need to improve our awareness in defensive set pieces and make sure we don’t concede anymore from

SHUTOUT

those positions,” Gutierrez said.

Assibey-Rhule said the team needs to improve in defending wide areas and “preventing dangerous crosses.”

Gutierrez said it is important to look at both the positives and the negatives of this game.

“It’s crucial for our team to keep on growing and make sure we reach our season targets,” Gutierrez said.

Diao said that despite the loss, he is confident that the team will succeed.

“The result was not what we wanted, also we got shocked by their powerful coming back. Nevertheless, we are still on the way to win the ASUN and achieve our goals, so now we gotta move on to the next game against Stetson on this coming Saturday and get that ‘W,’” Diao said.

UCA won 3-1 over the Stetson Hatters on Saturday, Sept. 25 in Deland, Florida. The win brought the team to 4-3-1 overall and 3-0 ASUN.

The men’s soccer team will return home for a matchup against Lipscomb University on Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. Lipscomb and UCA are currently tied in preliminary ASUN standings, promising an equal game skill-wise.

Soccer stomps Stetson

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

The UCA men’s soccer team (4-3-1, 3-0 ASUN) dominated the Stetson Hatters in its third ASUN conference game this past Saturday, Sept. 24.

Strong teamwork from the Bears led to a final score of 3-1.

The first half began rather tame, with the Hatters testing UCA’s defense following the Bears’ devastating blow from the Memphis Tigers earlier in the week.

The Bears lost 6-4 after letting the Tigers score five goals in the second half.

Learning from their mistakes, the Bears kept guard over their goal while letting forwards such as senior Sebastian Andreassen find a way through the Hatters’ defense.

“I think we did well last night, especially defensively. I thought collectively everyone was willing to defend and put their bodies in front of shots and crosses. I think keeping this same hunger defensively will help us improve going into matches later on in the season,” graduate midfielder Bernard Assibey-Rhule said.

UCA stayed on defense for most of the first half, countering the Hatters’ numerous long shots and passes.

Junior midfielder Jerry Gutierrez almost made the Bears’ first goal right outside the penalty box but the shot was saved by Stetson redshirt junior goalkeeper Owen Jack.

With nearly ten seconds left in the first half, Andreassen went for two consecutive shots, both blocked by Jack.

The first half ended without a single goal, the Bears taking eight shots and the Hatters seven.

Eight minutes into the second half the Bears made the first goal of the game.

Sophomore defender Daniel Shabani made a pass from midfield to sophomore defender Richy LapointeGuevara, who broke through a cluster of players to score.

This was LapointeGuevara’s first goal of the season and his second game.

Three minutes later the Hatters made their first goal.

Redshirt sophomore midfielder Colton Myers and junior midfielder Gio Rodriguez kept the ball from going out of bounds.

Rodriguez passed the ball to sophomore midfielder Charles Ahl, who was able to strike the ball into the goal and tie up the game.

Around 73 minutes into the game, Andreassen went for a shot 40 yards from the goal, only for it to land in the goalkeeper’s arms.

With about 12 minutes left in the game, Andreassen headbutted the ball towards the Stetson goal.

Gutierrez slid for the ball, kicking it past the goalkeeper for UCA’s second goal of the night.

Top-conference Bisons defeat women’s soccer Bears

BY MIA WADDELL Associate Editor

The infamous home game advantage could not save the women’s soccer team from a 2-0 loss against fierce rival Lipscomb University.

Just three days after their first conference win, the Bears lost their footing against Lipscomb’s Kale’A Perry who leads in ASUN goals (5), second only to teammate Kelli Beiler (4).

“Lipscomb is really good,” Coach Jeremy Bishop said. “They do a really good job in their midfield, made us chase a lot, but we competed well with them.”

Lipscomb kicked the game off with two shots by Beiler within the first five minutes. A strong start by Lipscomb was met with two fiery shots from redshirt freshman Maria Vanegas.

Vanegas has one previous goal under her belt from the team’s 2-0 win against Grambling State. Vanegas leads the freshman pack along with Tristyn Pavatt

for shots and goals.

Bishop attempted to mix the play up with a large round of substitutions just 15 minutes away from halftime.

With fresh legs on the field, the Bears made a respectable effort against the Bisons. Graduate student Taylor Webb made her presence known with two shots later in the first half.

Freshman Emma Rehm and sophomore Amanda Walsh followed suit by closing out the period with a shot each, just missing the goal both times.

The Bears shined in the first half, with 7 shots to Lipscomb’s 9.

Coach Bishop said the team can learn from the match, “I’m proud of that, we’ll take that away from it and keep building. We created some good opportunities to score. That’s been our struggle this year: getting opportunities. We had some today and we just gotta do a better job in those moments so that we can get the ball in the net.”

The Bears have struggled to create

shot opportunities in their 2022 season with the loss of major shooters such as Emma Hawkins, Morgan Rollow and Laurel Landry.

Hawkins was named First Team AllASUN, broke the school record on points and led in conference goals and assists during her time at UCA before being plucked by Oklahoma State University.

The second half saw the Bisons gearing up to take the game, with Beiler breaking the stalemate by finally landing a ball in the net, less than 5 minutes into the period. The goal was Beiler’s fourth of the season.

Shortly after, Lipscomb’s Shelby Craft grabbed another goal, bringing the score to 2-0.

The Bears only made three shots in the second, one by Vanegas before the two goals, and two last-minute attempts by sophomore Kelly Van Gundy and senior Taylor Lassiter.

Freshman goalkeeper Kajsa Pruner recorded 5 saves. Pruner leads in the goals-

against category in the ASUN conference, placing third with an average of 1.50.

Pruner rallied the team post-match with words of encouragement.

“I’m very proud of everyone today. We had five shots on goal…that’s really good,” Pruner said. “I want us to remember even if we don’t play [well] one day, we’re here for each other. Be thankful for every morning.”

The Bears will hit the road for their next two matches. The team will play current conference leader Liberty University Sept. 29 in Lynchburg, Virginia at 5 p.m. Liberty has not lost a conference game yet and currently holds an ASUN score of 3-0-1. Overall they stand at 7-3-2.

Next, UCA will take on Queens University Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina. Queens stands 1-2-1 in conference, with one more game against North Alabama University (0-2-2) before they meet the Bears.

“It’s always a great feeling to score. Always great to link up with your striker, especially when Sebastian [Andreassen] has the ability to hold up defenders. It allows our players to run off him and create chances in behind,” Gutierrez said.

From deep inside Hatters territory, senior defender Braydon Knutson launched the ball across the field.

Andreassen, closing in on the penalty box, took the shot and scored the third goal for UCA.

With only a minute left in the game, redshirt sophomore forward Luis Lara Delgado tried to shoe in another goal for Stetson but missed the goal completely.

The game ended with a kick out of bounds by Stetson.

The final score came out as a 3-1 win for the Bears, continuing their ASUN conference streak.

UCA’s next game will be at home against Lipscomb, who is also undefeated in the ASUN conference, Oct. 1.

Freshman defender Allyson Kamper takes a corner kick against Lipscomb in the match following Austin Peay. The team gained its frst conference win against the Governors.

Photo by Mia Waddell

EMOTIONAL MATCH

Lipscomb junior Marcella Cash blocks UCA freshman defender Rylee Ellis from getting the ball. The Bears sufered a 2-0 loss against the opposing university and will face of against Queens University on Oct. 2.

Photo by Mia Waddell